Women's experiences in early physical anthropology

Abstract

At the establishment of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in 1930, women comprised 2.4% of the total membership, and 9.7% a decade later. By 2014 ~70% of members were women. Despite these numbers, there are continued gender disparities within the discipline. While there is considerable interest in promoting equity, there is little documentation of the historical experiences of female anthropologists. This article introduces the women active in the discipline during the first decade of the Association, compiles descriptions of their experiences related to their treatment based on gender, and examines these historical perspectives in conjunction with documented trends of continuing gender disparities. A pattern is evident for these early anthropologists of receiving personal and financial discouragement during their education; experiencing discrimination in hiring, promotion, and pay; studying women and children as entrée into professional work; working within the federal government or military; leaving anthropology early in their careers; having their work credited to their male colleagues; experiencing additional limitations if they married; and outwardly downplaying their own experiences of sexism. This pattern is echoed in the experiences of female anthropologists today.

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